Description: Milford is an abbreviated form of mill ford and was so named because it was the first safe ford across the Little Miami River and was the only way for many people to reach the oil mill. The area was first surveyed by John Nancarrow, a Revolutionary War veteran from Virginia. John Hageman was the first permanent settler, and the area was originally named Hangeman's Mill. In 1803 Hageman put up a small mill to improve water power. After Hangeman left for Indiana in 1815, Milford became the popular name of the area. Around 1805, Ethan Stone of Cincinnati, built an oil mill on the mill-race above a small bridge, which was in operation until 1817. In this building, carding was done by Rust and Dimmet, and later, John Eldredge, had a liquor distillery. In 1818 a wood bridge made the ford obsolete and in 1920, the old mill that was the city's namesake, burned down. View on Ohio Memory.
Image ID: SA1039AV_B11F10_010_001
Subjects: Milford (Ohio); Little Miami River (Ohio); Mills
Places: Milford (Ohio); Clermont County (Ohio); Hamilton County (Ohio)
 

Description: Photograph of two children in a historic automobile, taken by Paula Deimling of Milford, Ohio. The image was one of ten to win Honorable Mention in the Professional category of the Spirit of Ohio Bicentennial Photo Contest. In August 1976, the Ohio American Revolution Bicentennial Advisory Committee (OARBAC) began the Spirit of Ohio Bicentennial Photo Contest as part of a larger effort in Ohio to celebrate the 1976 American Bicentennial. The contest was meant to document "the spirit and character of the people and places which represent Ohio during [the] bicentennial year," and to create a permanent photographic archive of the year's festivity for use by future researchers. Both professional and amateur photographers submitted over 500 photographs for consideration, all taken within the state between January 1 and December 31, 1976. View on Ohio Memory.
Image ID: SA2734AV_B01_20
Subjects: American Revolution Bicentennial (1976); Automobiles--Ohio--History; Children;
Places: Milford (Ohio); Clermont County (Ohio); Hamilton County (Ohio)
 

Description: This photograph shows a view of State Street, Milford Center, Union County, Ohio. Visible in the photograph are a drugstore, a restaurant, several other local shops, and a number of horse-drawn carriages along the road. View on Ohio Memory.
Image ID: AL00480
Subjects: Milford Center (Ohio); City and town life; Horse-drawn vehicles;
Places: Milford Center (Ohio); Union County (Ohio)
 

Description: Promont House, shown in this 2.75" x 2.75" (6.99 x 6.99 cm) slide, belonged to John M. Pattison, the 43rd governor of Ohio. The home was built in 1865 by William Megrue; Pattison purchased it in 1879. Promont House is built in the Italianate style. In 1983, owner James Kirgan bequeathed the house to the Greater Milford Area Historical Society, which restored it to the period 1879-1906 when Pattison owned the home. It is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. Pattison (1846-1906) was born in Clermont County, Ohio. After serving in the Civil War, he attended Ohio Wesleyan University in Delaware, Ohio. He was president of Union Central Life Insurance Company before being elected governor in 1906. The stress of the campaign took a toll on Pattison's health, however, and he died June 18, 1906, six months after his inauguration. View on Ohio Memory.
Image ID: Om3012_3634198_001
Subjects: Ohio Government; Architecture; Governors; Houses; Towers; National Register of Historic Places
Places: Milford (Ohio); Clermont County (Ohio)
 

Description: Photographic postcard showing a railroad station in Milford Center, Union County, Ohio, ca. 1900-1909. Four men stand along the tracks next to the station. View on Ohio Memory.
Image ID: AL00481
Subjects: Railroads--Buildings and structures; Ohio Economy--Transportation and Development
Places: Milford Center (Ohio); Union County (Ohio)
 

Description: Ohio Governor Andrew Harris in front of the Wyandot County Courthouse in Upper Sandusky, Ohio, September 30, 1908. Andrew Lintner Harris (1835-1915), nicknamed "The Farmer-Statesman," was one of the heroes of the Battle of Gettysburg, and served as the 44th Governor of Ohio between the years of 1906 and 1909. Harris was born in Milford Township, Ohio, and was educated in the local schools. He graduated from Miami University in 1860 and enlisted as a private in the Union Army. Photograph by Harry Evan Kinley (1882-1969), a native of Upper Sandusky. Kinley was active in local events and organizations, and spent his professional career as a clerk at his father's department store, and later as a travelling salesman for the Marion Paper & Supply Company (1934-1962). He was also an avid lifelong photographer, and the bulk of the Harry Kinley Collection is comprised of glass plate negatives documenting the Kinley family, the city of Upper Sandusky and Wyandot County and surrounding areas. View on Ohio Memory.
Image ID: AL07790
Subjects: Governors--Ohio; Upper Sandusky (Ohio); Ohio--Politics and government;
Places: Upper Sandusky (Ohio); Wyandot County (Ohio)
 

Description: Four photographs depict the McKinley National Memorial built in honor of William McKinley (1843-1901), the twenty-fifth president of the United States, who was assassinated in 1901. Two million bricks were used in the construction of the double-domed mausoleum. The first image shows the memorial in 1936, while the second shows it in 1967. The final two images depict the interior of the memorial, including the double sarcophagi made of Windsor green granite with a base of black Berlin granite. The McKinley Memorial Association was established soon after McKinley's assassination. It raised funds, chose a site, and began construction in 1905. The dedication ceremonies took place on September 30, 1907. Harold Van Buren Magonigle designed the Neoclassical Greek style memorial to reflect the simplicity and dignity of McKinley's life. The interior dome measures 50 feet in diameter and is 75 feet high. The exterior dome is 75 feet in diameter and 95 feet high. Both the interior and the exterior domes are made of pink Milford granite from Massachusetts. An inscription encircling the edge of the dome is a quotation from the president's last speech, made in Buffalo: "Let us ever remember that our interest is in concord not conflict and that our real eminence rests in the victories of peace not those of war." McKinley's children Katie and Ida, who predeceased their parents, were moved from their resting places in the adjacent West Lawn Cemetery to be entombed within the double walls at the rear of the memorial. One hundred and eight steps lead to the entrance of the mausoleum, arranged in four tiers conforming to the terraces on the hill. The bronze statue of President McKinley on the steps was designed by Charles Niehaus, who created it from a photograph taken of the President making his last speech. William McKinley (1843-1901), the twenty-fifth president of the United States, was born in Niles, Ohio. He enlisted in the army at the outbreak of the Civil War and, after being mustered out, studied law and opened a law office in Canton, Ohio. McKinley served in the U.S. Congress for 14 years, and became president in 1897, largely due to the influence of Marcus Hanna, boss of the Cleveland political machine. McKinley was most noted for his foreign policy and the conduct of the Spanish-American War in 1898. It was during McKinley's administration that the U.S. acquired its first overseas possessions in the Philippines, Guam, and Puerto Rico. He was re-elected in 1900, but was assassinated by anarchist Leon Czolgosz in 1901. His running mate, Theodore Roosevelt, then became president. View on Ohio Memory.
Image ID: Om3234_4401958_001
Subjects: Architecture; Presidents and Politics; McKinley, William, 1843-1901; Presidents; Funeral rites & ceremonies; Monuments & memorials; Tombs & sepulchral monuments
Places: Canton (Ohio); Stark County (Ohio)
 

Description: The Perry Memorial, located in Put-in-Bay (on South Bass Island), about 5 miles from the longest undefended border in the world. It was first dedicated September 10, 1913, at the centennial celebration of Perry’s victory at the Battle of Lake Erie, and symbolizes the peace that prevailed thereafter between the United States, Canada and Great Britain. The towering Milford granite shaft rises from a terraced plaza to a height of 352 feet and is the world's most massive Doric column. Beneath the stone floor of the monument lie the remains of three American officers and three British officers. The open air promenade at the top can accommodate 50 people. From it can be seen the green mass of Middle and North Bass Islands, the other islands of the archipelago, the Marblehead Peninsula, Cedar Point, the buildings of Sandusky, and Lake Erie. On clear days the shore lines of Michigan and Canada are visible. The memorial, which cost nearly $500,000, was erected under the joint sponsorship of the Federal Government and the States of Massachusetts, Rhode Island, Pennsylvania, New York, Kentucky, Ohio, Michigan and Illinois. Although substantially completed in 1915, funding problems prevented the proper completion of a fully realized memorial complex. In 1919 the federal government assumed control of the monument and provided additional funding. The official dedication was celebrated on July 31, 1931. On September 11, 1938, the monument and the 14-acre park surrounding it were dedicated as a National Park by Secretary of the Interior Harold Ickes. In 2002, 2.4 million dollars was spent on a new visitor center. Established as Perry's Victory and International Peace Memorial National Monument by Franklin D. Roosevelt on June 2, 1936 (Proclamation No. 2182); redesignated a National Memorial and renamed on October 26, 1972. As with all historic areas administered by the National Park Service, the memorial was listed on the National Register of Historic Places on October 15, 1966. It is the only peace memorial within the National Park Service. The Memorial had been closed for most of the summer of 2006 after a 500 pound (230 kg) piece of granite broke off the southeast face of the observation deck, falling 315 feet (96 m) and leaving a crater in the plaza in June. No one was injured. Following a structural assessment that deemed it safe for visitors, the memorial reopened on August 26, 2006, with a fence surrounding it. The monument closed on September 30, 2009 for 2 years. Renovations will be done in 3 phases, with the observation deck first, then the column, then the entrance and rotunda receiving attention. The repairs to the observation deck are estimated at $7,000,000. Oliver Hazard Perry (1785-1819) was in command of a flotilla at Newport, Rhode Island, when the War of 1812 broke out. In March of the following year he was given command on Lake Erie. By summer he sailed with a squadron built for him at Erie, Pennsylvania, put in at the harbor of South Bass Island (whence the name, Put-In-Bay), and awaited the coming of the British vessels for an anticipated encounter. Sighting them on the morning of September 10, Perry sailed northwest towards the Sister Islands. The Americans had 54 guns and two swivels; the British had 63 guns, 4 howitzers and two swivels. About noon Perry’s flagship, the Lawrence, was fired upon, and bore the brunt of the attack because the other ships were becalmed at a distance. Her guns pounded into silence, the Lawrence was abandoned, and Perry and his men rowed to the Niagara. In the meantime his other ships had come up, and the Americans swooped down upon the English warships. Maneuvering the Niagara between four of the enemy’s boats, the Americans poured broadsides at close range into time; and at 3 o’clock in the afternoon the British flagship Detroit lowered her flag, signaling surrender. Perry’s laconic message to General William Henry Harrison was: ‘Dear General – We have met the enemy, and they are ours. Two ships, two brigs, one schooner, and one sloop. Yours with great respect and esteem, O. H. Perry.’ Perry’s victory gave the Americans control of Lake Erie and enabled Harrison to invade Canada, the latter’s success at the Battle of the Thames ending the War of 1812 in the Northwest. View on Ohio Memory.
Image ID: SA1039AV_B08F09_016_1
Subjects: Monuments & memorials--United States--1900-1940; Perry's Victory and International Peace Memorial (Put-in-Bay, Ohio); Perry, Oliver Hazard, 1785-1819; National Park Service (U.S.); National Register of Historic Places
Places: Put-in-Bay Township (Ohio); Ottawa County (Ohio)
 

Description: This image shows the front and side facades of the Cuyahoga County Courthouse. It was completed in 1912 by architects Lehman and Schmidt with the distinction of being the second finished building in Cleveland's downtown group plan. The project was developed by Chicago architect Daniel Burnham, which sought to create a downtown space that combined all of Cleveland's public buildings in a central mall. The other buildings included in the plan are the Federal Building, the Cleveland Public Library and the Board of Education building. Cuyahoga's Beaux-Arts courthouse is said to reflect Cleveland's "turn-of-the-century" prosperity and includes materials like Milford pink granite, marble and English oak. Decorative art is also a major component of this building, from its statues depicting the rules of English law to its dramatic murals and stained-glass window. View on Ohio Memory.
Image ID: AV101_B01F02_102
Subjects: Courthouses--Ohio; arches; columns (architectural elements); balustrades; Beaux-Arts
Places: Cleveland (Ohio); Cuyahoga County (Ohio); 1219 Ontario St.
 

Description: This image shows the front doors of the Cuyahoga County Courthouse. It was completed in 1912 by architects Lehman and Schmidt with the distinction of being the second finished building in Cleveland's downtown group plan. The project was developed by Chicago architect Daniel Burnham, which sought to create a downtown space that combined all of Cleveland's public buildings in a central mall. The other buildings included in the plan are the Federal Building, the Cleveland Public Library and the Board of Education building. Cuyahoga's Beaux-Arts courthouse is said to reflect Cleveland's "turn-of-the-century" prosperity and includes materials like Milford pink granite, marble and English oak. Decorative art is also a major component of this building, from its statues depicting the rules of English law to its dramatic murals and stained-glass window. View on Ohio Memory.
Image ID: AV101_B01F02_105
Subjects: Courthouses--Ohio; arches; columns (architectural elements); balustrades; Beaux-Arts
Places: Cleveland (Ohio); Cuyahoga County (Ohio); 1219 Ontario St.
 

Description: This image shows the main lobby of the Cuyahoga County Courthouse. It was completed in 1912 by architects Lehman and Schmidt with the distinction of being the second finished building in Cleveland's downtown group plan. The project was developed by Chicago architect Daniel Burnham, which sought to create a downtown space that combined all of Cleveland's public buildings in a central mall. The other buildings included in the plan are the Federal Building, the Cleveland Public Library and the Board of Education building. Cuyahoga's Beaux-Arts courthouse is said to reflect Cleveland's "turn-of-the-century" prosperity and includes materials like Milford pink granite, marble and English oak. Decorative art is also a major component of this building, from its statues depicting the rules of English law to its dramatic murals and stained-glass window. View on Ohio Memory.
Image ID: AV101_B01F02_106
Subjects: Courthouses--Ohio; arches; columns (architectural elements); balustrades; Beaux-Arts
Places: Cleveland (Ohio); Cuyahoga County (Ohio); 1219 Ontario St.
 

Description: This image shows the Thomas Jefferson statue in front of the Cuyahoga County Courthouse. It was completed in 1912 by architects Lehman and Schmidt with the distinction of being the second finished building in Cleveland's downtown group plan. The project was developed by Chicago architect Daniel Burnham, which sought to create a downtown space that combined all of Cleveland's public buildings in a central mall. The other buildings included in the plan are the Federal Building, the Cleveland Public Library and the Board of Education building. Cuyahoga's Beaux-Arts courthouse is said to reflect Cleveland's "turn-of-the-century" prosperity and includes materials like Milford pink granite, marble and English oak. Decorative art is also a major component of this building, from its statues depicting the rules of English law to its dramatic murals and stained-glass window. View on Ohio Memory.
Image ID: AV101_B01F02_104
Subjects: Courthouses--Ohio; arches; columns (architectural elements); balustrades; Beaux-Arts
Places: Cleveland (Ohio); Cuyahoga County (Ohio); 1219 Ontario St.